Standing rigging on both sailboats and power boats includes shrouds, made of either metal wire or solid metal rod, and turnbuckles or similar fittings for attaching the shrouds to the boat. Lines, such as sheets, can often rub against either the shroud or turnbuckle of the rigging when the lines are adjusted or move about in response to wave action. In the case of sailboats, the sails also can rub against the standing rigging, particularly headsails such as jibs. Rubbing of lines or sails against metallic shrouds or turnbuckles can result in abrasive chafe or wear of the lines, sails and/or standing rigging.
Various types of devices have been made available to fit about standing rigging in order to prevent or lessen the foregoing problems. Covering devices for shrouds are generally referred to as shroud rollers and covering devices for turnbuckles are generally referred to as turnbuckle boots. The shroud roller constructions of which I am aware have been of rather complicated structure, see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,277, or they have been difficult to insert about a shroud. For example, some prior shroud rollers require that the shroud be detached from its mountings before the roller can be applied in position about the shroud. Also, some prior shroud rollers need adhesive tape or other fasteners in order to hold two parts of the device together about a shroud. Turnbuckle boots are generally tubular devices that can be positioned about a turnbuckle only when it is detached from the boat.
My present invention was developed with the objective of providing a new improved covering device for standing rigging that does not exhibit the deficiences of prior devices. Another was to provide a two-part covering device for standing rigging in which each part is a unitary element, capable of being extruded in plastic, and in which the two parts interlock with one another to be securely held in position about a shroud or turnbuckle without the need for additional fasteners or tape. Another especially important objective was to design a cross-sectional shape for each part of a shroud roller or turnbuckle boot that would enable the two parts to be snapped together, thereby enabling facile attachment of the device about a shroud or turnbuckle without the need to detach the rigging element from the chain plate or other fitting to which it is attached.